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Dental Charges

(22 Posts)
HUNTERF Fri 12-Apr-13 11:53:59

I went to the dentist this morning. The dentist examined my teeth and said within 5 minutes nothing needed doing.
I know it was necessary but £18 seemed a bit expensive for that.

Frank

janeainsworth Fri 12-Apr-13 12:01:36

frank I assume you saw your dentist under NHS terms and conditions.
NHS dental charges are not strictly related to what you have done.
There are 3 different charges, and the £18 band covers full clinical examination, any necessary xrays, preventive advice, the issue of a prescription, adjustments to your bite, and simple scaling and polishing. So if your dentist had provided any of those other things, you would still have had to pay only £18.

gillybob Fri 12-Apr-13 12:03:40

Snap Frank I was at the dentist this morning too. Have finally finished a short course of treatment and are now £209 worse off ! smile

kittylester Fri 12-Apr-13 12:07:29

Frank £18 seems pretty reasonable to me considering all the training your dentist had before he could treat you, all the compulsory on-going training they would undertake, the staff they need to employ, the equipment they need to buy, the mortgage, upkeep etc of a building. smile #hobbyhorse

Anyway, won't one of your sons-in-law do it for free - family perks etc?

janeainsworth Fri 12-Apr-13 12:10:16

kitty perhaps frank's sons-in-law are wise enough never to treat family and friends grin

glassortwo Fri 12-Apr-13 12:10:34

frank you can spend £18 on a coffee and cake when your out, so when you think of the overheads and training, £18.00 is not bad.

HUNTERF Fri 12-Apr-13 12:10:53

jane

Even my dentist says she almost feels that £18 is expensive for what she has to do on my teeth but she still has to commit 15 minutes to me as something could need doing.

Frank

glassortwo Fri 12-Apr-13 12:11:58

Thats what my DH would call a love job, doing a plumbing job for friends and family grin

gillybob Fri 12-Apr-13 12:13:39

Love jobs are all very well and good Glass as long as the Love starts at home !

I have been waiting over a year for Mr GB to put a socket in the hallway for me.......hasn't had chance apparently. hmm

glassortwo Fri 12-Apr-13 12:17:07

We always have a dripping tap grin but ask for something in the joinery field and he is at it like a dog at broth grin

janeainsworth Fri 12-Apr-13 12:25:29

Oh I love that expression glass grin
gilly isn't amazing just how busy men are grin

HUNTERF Fri 12-Apr-13 12:37:44

Hi kittylester

My sons in law would do it for free but they work in the dental hospital and really do specialist dentistry like abscesses.
They feel to be safe it is better I visit an ordinary dentist who is getting updated in that aspect of dentistry all the time.

Frank

gracesmum Fri 12-Apr-13 12:43:32

Our dentist only does private or Denplan which is just under £40 a month for the 2 of us. It seems extortionate as I rarely need treatment apart from 6-monthly check-ups and the hygienist, BUT, like any other insurance (Petplan etc) I can't take the risk of not having it because with my luck........................................ sad
That said I had an emergency appointment on Monday and DH has one today so perhaps we are getting our money's worth smile

LullyDully Fri 12-Apr-13 13:29:51

I went private when I needed a root canal filling a few years ago. No way was that man doing that to me! He hurt and I get v nervous due to a horrible dentist in childhood.

We went to a woman who was so gentle and sweet. Now since I have been paying privately, teeth are so much healthier and I need very little treatment.Probably due to the sergeant major of a hygienist. All saves money in long run. I'll be damned if I have dentures.

gillybob Fri 12-Apr-13 13:43:04

I have to say my dentist is lovely. It is only a very small practise (there is only 1 dentist and 2 part-time nurses) but like LullyDully I had a bad experience when I was young leaving me with a total fear of the dentist. I have been with my dentist for 25 years and am his "longest suffering patient" his words not mine. grin showing my teeth !!

numberplease Fri 12-Apr-13 16:01:53

A friend in Lanzarote has a daughter in Ireland, apparently she won a radio competition this morning, 5,000 euros worth of dental treatment! Very handy in this day and age.

annodomini Fri 12-Apr-13 16:16:43

Oh, wouldn't mind that - it cost me half a week's pension to have a large filling replaced today. sad

harrigran Fri 12-Apr-13 17:50:51

Don't begrudge the Dentist her fee. We have a Dentist in our family but her waiting list is longer than NHS one.

Gally Fri 12-Apr-13 18:55:43

Heavens £18 - if only! I changed from my NHS dentist some years ago when I decided after about 25 years that really, he was no good. I asked him to replace some amalgam fillings with white ones and he said ' well, I'll do it, but it's your money'. Too right it was and I didn't give it to him; now I give copious amounts of it to a private dentist (lovely girl from East Germany married to a Scot) and she is fantastic - worth every £. Thank you Steffi grin

annodomini Fri 12-Apr-13 19:20:01

I tried to transfer from my dentist who, like most others in this area, went private, but got fed up with hanging around the waiting room and returned to line the pockets of my original one. He's a friendly chap and I know him pretty well after 28 years. His wife, and nurse, was at school with DS1. We talk about rugby and he talks about birdwatching!

Maniac Sat 13-Apr-13 17:38:12

my message has disappeared -again!!**

HUNTERF Sat 13-Apr-13 17:52:29

Gally

My dentist says she does not like taking amalgam fillings out and replacing them with white for cosmetic reasons.
She says it makes the hole bigger and weakens the tooth.
She will replace with white if the filling has to be replaced for some other reason.

Frank